
Voip Service Reviews
Each of these VoIP services offer high quality local and long distance calling, will allow most people to save hundreds of dollars a year and include tons of great features. To learn more about VoIP, visit our FAQs.
VoIP Reviews & Prices
VONAGE REVIEW:Go to Site | Back to Chart
[Editor's Note: Vonage has set up an exclusive 800 number
where NextAdvisor.com visitors can speak to a Vonage representative to
ask questions and ensure they get the latest and best deal possible.
If you are interested in ordering Vonage we recommend that you call
the number: 1-888-692-8076.]
Vonage is not the cheapest VoIP service,
but our testing and research has shown that it is the best. Vonage has
invested the most time and money in building its network and in
acquiring new customers (it has the most customers of any VoIP
provider and is a public company).
As a result, Vonage provides the highest quality service of any of our
recommended providers and is the best choice for those who need or
want superior call quality and reliability. Vonage's unlimited plan costs just $24.99 per month and includes free activation and a free V-Portal adapter with free shipping. We believe the unlimited plan will save most people hundreds of dollars a year compared to traditional phone service. Also, Vonage is the only VoIP provider we
recommend that does not require you to use a credit card (you can pay
from your checking account instead). The 500 minute plan, at only
$17.99 per month, is an even better deal for those who call less
frequently although the waived set-up fees and free adapter are not available with that plan.
Vonage includes calls to Italy, France, Spain, UK and Ireland for free
in their unlimited plans, making it a fantastic value for frequent
callers to those countries. Vonage has recently added several
international plans targeted at callers to certain regions. So for an
additional $10 per month on top of the unlimited plan, you can add
unlimited calling to the rest of Europe or Asia. For $15, you can add
unlimited calling to Mexico and Latin America. Vonage has also
recently ramped up their efforts in customer service to make sure you
can get through to a representative quickly if you need to.
PHONE POWER REVIEW:Go to Site | Back to Chart
Phone Power is a relative newcomer to the VoIP landscape but has hit a
sweet spot in the market with their nice range of very cheap plans.
For those that aren't afraid of a longer term commitment and are
looking for the best value, Phone Power's prepaid annual unlimited
plan is just $199.95, and for a limited time, they are offering a
second year free, which averages out to just $8.33 per month. The only
catch is that if you cancel before your term is up, there is no
prorated refund. For those not ready wanting such a long commitment,
we like their monthly unlimited plan best, which is just $19.95 per
month. This plan is an especially strong value when you consider that
Phone Power doesn't charge activation fees for any of its plans and
has no cancellation fees if you want to cancel. If you do sign a 1
year contract, the monthly unlimited plan will cost $16.95 per month
but you'll pay a cancellation fee of $99 or the remainder of the
contract amount, whichever is less, although there is no cancellation
penalty for this contract if you cancel in the first 30 days. If you
sign a 2 year contract, the monthly price drops to $14.95 with the
same cancellation restrictions as the 1 year contract. All of these
plans include a free cloned second line, which allows you to make or
receive calls when the first line is already in use. As mentioned
above, the only setup cost on each of Phone Power's plans is the
$14.95 shipping & handling fee, as they don't charge for activation
and they lease you an adapter for free. Also as noted above, they
don't charge any cancellation fees on the month-to-month plans but
also do not give refunds for the prepaid plans if you cancel early.
While Phone Power doesn't have a particularly long track record, our
research and conversations with the company indicate that they are a
well-run company that should be around for the long haul. They've been
gaining market share quickly and after reviewing their offerings, it's
easy to see why.
VIA TALK REVIEW:Go to Site | Back to Chart
ViaTalk is currently offering unlimited long distance phone service
for one year for $199 plus an extra year free promotion for new
ViaTalk customers, making it very similar to PhonePower's 2 year for
$199 plan. ViaTalk has a bit higher set-up fees ($41 total vs. $15)
but makes up for it with a 14-day money back guarantee as well as a
pro-rated refund for cancellation after 14 days with a $49.95 penalty
(PhonePower does not give any pro-rated refund for their 2 year $199
plan). So while PhonePower's plan ends up being a bit cheaper because
of the lower setup fees, ViaTalk's makes it a little cheaper should
you want to cancel early on. Also included with this plan are
unlimited calls to Canada and a 2nd phone line. The two line
configuration activates two separate extensions to your home phone.
This is great if you have a teenager always on the phone. You can
simply pick up line two and either dial out or receive calls. We
should also note that ViaTalk's $29.95 activation fee and $9.95
shipping and handling fee are not refundable. If you don't want to
commit for 2 years, ViaTalk has an unlimited monthly plan for $22.95
which is not all that great of a deal when compared to the
competition. They also offer a 500 minute plan for as low as $9.95
per month, although that requires a 2-year contract and upfront
payment. Terminating the contract early incurs a cancellation fee of
$49.95. ViaTalk offers several different plans and time commitments,
so you have a lot of flexibility to choose what's right for you. While
ViaTalk is a small company, they have been offering their VoIP service
for several years and have proven their ability to maintain a
long-term business while still offering cheap plans.
LINGO REVIEW:Go to Site | Back to Chart
Lingo is a great all-around value but is a particularly good choice for those that want to call internationally often. Lingo has been around longer than any of the other VoIP providers we recommend so you know you can rely on them. They are also the only leading provider whose standard monthly plan includes calls to Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand and some Asian countries (although Vonage includes calls to several Western European countries). So you can pay $21.95 per month to call anyone in not only the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico all you want, but also anyone in the aforementioned countries. Even if you never or rarely call internationally, Lingo's price, functionality and reliability make it a great choice. Lingo is currently offering new monthly unlimited plan subscribers over $100 in value with a discounted rate of $4.95 per month for the first 6 months, free activation ($29.95 value) and a free Linksys adapter ($50 value), plus a no risk 30-day money back guarantee.
Lingo also has an annual plan where you pay $195 upfront and receive unlimited calling for the rest of the year to the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. Please note that this unlimited plan does not include calls to the foreign countries that Lingo's monthly plan includes, so the monthly plan with 1 month free may be a better value. Their 500 minute plan is just $14.95 but again only includes calling to U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. Lingo also has some international plans that are a good deal for frequent callers to Mexico and Latin America or to South Asia. The Mexico and Latin America plan adds to the monthly unlimited plan unlimited calling to Mexico City, Caracas, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro plus discounted rates to the rest of Mexico and Latin America. It costs the same as the standard monthly unlimited, you just lose the free calling to the other international locales in the standard monthly unlimited plan. The South Asia plan also takes away the other international destinations but adds 2.9 cent/minute calling to India and Bangladesh. It costs $29.95 per month. Also note that all plans include $29.95 activation fee and a $59.95 cancellation fee if you cancel after 30 days but before 1 year. They will, however, give you a prorated refund for your unused months if you buy the annual plan and cancel before 1 year. Overall, Lingo's monthly unlimited plan really stands out and is a great value for anyone, especially for frequent callers to certain countries.
8x8 REVIEW:Go to Site | Back to Chart
8x8, one of the early players in VoIP, offers both a monthly $24.99 unlimited plan and a $239.99 annual unlimited plan. Both of these plans come with your first month free and a very high quality free (after rebate) phone system. If you don't want to commit to a year or pay $239.99 upfront, 8x8's $24.99 per month ($29.99 activation fee) unlimited plan is not a bad one, but is a bit more expensive than some. Their $239.99 annual plan is a good deal but comes with few caveats: they charge a $29.99 activation fee, there is no prorated refund if you cancel after the 30 day trial period, and there are additional taxes. All that being said, the combination of a very high quality free phone system and one month free is attractive. For frequent international callers, 8x8 offers a great value unlimited calling plan that includes calls to 40 different countries for $39.99 per month (it also includes the first month free and free phone system). 8x8 also offers another feature none of the competitors do: video phones and video calling plans. These are very cool devices that 8x8 will sell you at a discount when you subscribe to one of their plans.
VoIP.com VoIP ReviewGo to Site | Back to Chart
Voip.com offers a great selection of inexpensive plans and for those that don't want to pay for a year upfront, we think Voip.com offers the best value monthly unlimited plan. They also offer possibly the best year prepay plan now that Voip.com is not charging any set-up fees on it. Their monthly unlimited plan for $19.95 is just about as cheap as you will find for a pay-as-you-go plan, especially when you include their current first month free promotion and no shipping and handling charges for this plan. They also offer an annual unlimited plan for $199 per year and a 200 minutes per month plan for $9.95 per month. Voip.com has two other main differentiators from the competition. First, their international rates are the cheapest we have found to most countries. Second, they boast an impressive feature set that can almost all be managed online. Overall, Voip.com offers a strong value proposition with something for everyone. We like their monthly unlimited plan and cheap international rates the best.
VOIP YOUR LIFE REVIEW:Go to Site | Back to Chart
VoIP Your Life is not as big as Vonage or Verizon but they stand out from the crowd by offering excellent customer service and very customer-friendly policies. They also provide easy-to-reach and very competent U.S. customer service. VoIP Your Life's plans are not the cheapest but they are still very well priced and may be your cheapest option when you factor in the limited number of extra fees they charge. Their basic plan is just $14.97 per month and includes incoming calls for free but costs $14.97 per month plus 2.4 cents per minute for outbound domestic calls. We think a better value is the $23.97 Premier Unlimited plan that also gives you unlimited outbound calls anywhere in the U.S. and Canada. If you call internationally with any regularity, their Premier Global Unlimited Plan is a fantastic value as long as the countries you're calling to are included in their plan. VoIP Your Life doesn't mention their money-back guarantee but they have assured us that if you cannot get your service working properly for some reason, you will not be charged. Overall, VoIP Your Life's two unlimited plans offer fantastic values that look even better when combined with their strong customer service.
About Us Blog Contact UsTerms & Privacy PolicyAffiliate ProgramSite map
Copyright© 2006 -
NextAdvisor.com - All rights reserved.
VoIP Reviews & Prices
VONAGE REVIEW:Go to Site | Back to Chart
[Editor's Note: Vonage has set up an exclusive 800 number
where NextAdvisor.com visitors can speak to a Vonage representative to
ask questions and ensure they get the latest and best deal possible.
If you are interested in ordering Vonage we recommend that you call
the number: 1-888-692-8076.]
Vonage is not the cheapest VoIP service,
but our testing and research has shown that it is the best. Vonage has
invested the most time and money in building its network and in
acquiring new customers (it has the most customers of any VoIP
provider and is a public company).
As a result, Vonage provides the highest quality service of any of our
recommended providers and is the best choice for those who need or
want superior call quality and reliability. Vonage's unlimited plan costs just $24.99 per month and includes free activation and a free V-Portal adapter with free shipping. We believe the unlimited plan will save most people hundreds of dollars a year compared to traditional phone service. Also, Vonage is the only VoIP provider we
recommend that does not require you to use a credit card (you can pay
from your checking account instead). The 500 minute plan, at only
$17.99 per month, is an even better deal for those who call less
frequently although the waived set-up fees and free adapter are not available with that plan.
Vonage includes calls to Italy, France, Spain, UK and Ireland for free
in their unlimited plans, making it a fantastic value for frequent
callers to those countries. Vonage has recently added several
international plans targeted at callers to certain regions. So for an
additional $10 per month on top of the unlimited plan, you can add
unlimited calling to the rest of Europe or Asia. For $15, you can add
unlimited calling to Mexico and Latin America. Vonage has also
recently ramped up their efforts in customer service to make sure you
can get through to a representative quickly if you need to.
PHONE POWER REVIEW:Go to Site | Back to Chart
Phone Power is a relative newcomer to the VoIP landscape but has hit a sweet spot in the market with their nice range of very cheap plans. For those that aren't afraid of a longer term commitment and are looking for the best value, Phone Power's prepaid annual unlimited plan is just $199.95, and for a limited time, they are offering a second year free, which averages out to just $8.33 per month. The only catch is that if you cancel before your term is up, there is no prorated refund. For those not ready wanting such a long commitment, we like their monthly unlimited plan best, which is just $19.95 per month. This plan is an especially strong value when you consider that Phone Power doesn't charge activation fees for any of its plans and has no cancellation fees if you want to cancel. If you do sign a 1 year contract, the monthly unlimited plan will cost $16.95 per month but you'll pay a cancellation fee of $99 or the remainder of the contract amount, whichever is less, although there is no cancellation penalty for this contract if you cancel in the first 30 days. If you sign a 2 year contract, the monthly price drops to $14.95 with the same cancellation restrictions as the 1 year contract. All of these plans include a free cloned second line, which allows you to make or receive calls when the first line is already in use. As mentioned above, the only setup cost on each of Phone Power's plans is the $14.95 shipping & handling fee, as they don't charge for activation and they lease you an adapter for free. Also as noted above, they don't charge any cancellation fees on the month-to-month plans but also do not give refunds for the prepaid plans if you cancel early. While Phone Power doesn't have a particularly long track record, our research and conversations with the company indicate that they are a well-run company that should be around for the long haul. They've been gaining market share quickly and after reviewing their offerings, it's easy to see why.
VIA TALK REVIEW:Go to Site | Back to Chart
ViaTalk is currently offering unlimited long distance phone service for one year for $199 plus an extra year free promotion for new ViaTalk customers, making it very similar to PhonePower's 2 year for $199 plan. ViaTalk has a bit higher set-up fees ($41 total vs. $15) but makes up for it with a 14-day money back guarantee as well as a pro-rated refund for cancellation after 14 days with a $49.95 penalty (PhonePower does not give any pro-rated refund for their 2 year $199 plan). So while PhonePower's plan ends up being a bit cheaper because of the lower setup fees, ViaTalk's makes it a little cheaper should you want to cancel early on. Also included with this plan are unlimited calls to Canada and a 2nd phone line. The two line configuration activates two separate extensions to your home phone. This is great if you have a teenager always on the phone. You can simply pick up line two and either dial out or receive calls. We should also note that ViaTalk's $29.95 activation fee and $9.95 shipping and handling fee are not refundable. If you don't want to commit for 2 years, ViaTalk has an unlimited monthly plan for $22.95 which is not all that great of a deal when compared to the competition. They also offer a 500 minute plan for as low as $9.95 per month, although that requires a 2-year contract and upfront payment. Terminating the contract early incurs a cancellation fee of $49.95. ViaTalk offers several different plans and time commitments, so you have a lot of flexibility to choose what's right for you. While ViaTalk is a small company, they have been offering their VoIP service for several years and have proven their ability to maintain a long-term business while still offering cheap plans.
LINGO REVIEW:Go to Site | Back to Chart
Lingo is a great all-around value but is a particularly good choice for those that want to call internationally often. Lingo has been around longer than any of the other VoIP providers we recommend so you know you can rely on them. They are also the only leading provider whose standard monthly plan includes calls to Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand and some Asian countries (although Vonage includes calls to several Western European countries). So you can pay $21.95 per month to call anyone in not only the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico all you want, but also anyone in the aforementioned countries. Even if you never or rarely call internationally, Lingo's price, functionality and reliability make it a great choice. Lingo is currently offering new monthly unlimited plan subscribers over $100 in value with a discounted rate of $4.95 per month for the first 6 months, free activation ($29.95 value) and a free Linksys adapter ($50 value), plus a no risk 30-day money back guarantee.
Lingo also has an annual plan where you pay $195 upfront and receive unlimited calling for the rest of the year to the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. Please note that this unlimited plan does not include calls to the foreign countries that Lingo's monthly plan includes, so the monthly plan with 1 month free may be a better value. Their 500 minute plan is just $14.95 but again only includes calling to U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. Lingo also has some international plans that are a good deal for frequent callers to Mexico and Latin America or to South Asia. The Mexico and Latin America plan adds to the monthly unlimited plan unlimited calling to Mexico City, Caracas, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro plus discounted rates to the rest of Mexico and Latin America. It costs the same as the standard monthly unlimited, you just lose the free calling to the other international locales in the standard monthly unlimited plan. The South Asia plan also takes away the other international destinations but adds 2.9 cent/minute calling to India and Bangladesh. It costs $29.95 per month. Also note that all plans include $29.95 activation fee and a $59.95 cancellation fee if you cancel after 30 days but before 1 year. They will, however, give you a prorated refund for your unused months if you buy the annual plan and cancel before 1 year. Overall, Lingo's monthly unlimited plan really stands out and is a great value for anyone, especially for frequent callers to certain countries.
8x8 REVIEW:Go to Site | Back to Chart
8x8, one of the early players in VoIP, offers both a monthly $24.99 unlimited plan and a $239.99 annual unlimited plan. Both of these plans come with your first month free and a very high quality free (after rebate) phone system. If you don't want to commit to a year or pay $239.99 upfront, 8x8's $24.99 per month ($29.99 activation fee) unlimited plan is not a bad one, but is a bit more expensive than some. Their $239.99 annual plan is a good deal but comes with few caveats: they charge a $29.99 activation fee, there is no prorated refund if you cancel after the 30 day trial period, and there are additional taxes. All that being said, the combination of a very high quality free phone system and one month free is attractive. For frequent international callers, 8x8 offers a great value unlimited calling plan that includes calls to 40 different countries for $39.99 per month (it also includes the first month free and free phone system). 8x8 also offers another feature none of the competitors do: video phones and video calling plans. These are very cool devices that 8x8 will sell you at a discount when you subscribe to one of their plans.
VoIP.com VoIP ReviewGo to Site | Back to Chart
Voip.com offers a great selection of inexpensive plans and for those that don't want to pay for a year upfront, we think Voip.com offers the best value monthly unlimited plan. They also offer possibly the best year prepay plan now that Voip.com is not charging any set-up fees on it. Their monthly unlimited plan for $19.95 is just about as cheap as you will find for a pay-as-you-go plan, especially when you include their current first month free promotion and no shipping and handling charges for this plan. They also offer an annual unlimited plan for $199 per year and a 200 minutes per month plan for $9.95 per month. Voip.com has two other main differentiators from the competition. First, their international rates are the cheapest we have found to most countries. Second, they boast an impressive feature set that can almost all be managed online. Overall, Voip.com offers a strong value proposition with something for everyone. We like their monthly unlimited plan and cheap international rates the best.
VOIP YOUR LIFE REVIEW:Go to Site | Back to Chart
VoIP Your Life is not as big as Vonage or Verizon but they stand out from the crowd by offering excellent customer service and very customer-friendly policies. They also provide easy-to-reach and very competent U.S. customer service. VoIP Your Life's plans are not the cheapest but they are still very well priced and may be your cheapest option when you factor in the limited number of extra fees they charge. Their basic plan is just $14.97 per month and includes incoming calls for free but costs $14.97 per month plus 2.4 cents per minute for outbound domestic calls. We think a better value is the $23.97 Premier Unlimited plan that also gives you unlimited outbound calls anywhere in the U.S. and Canada. If you call internationally with any regularity, their Premier Global Unlimited Plan is a fantastic value as long as the countries you're calling to are included in their plan. VoIP Your Life doesn't mention their money-back guarantee but they have assured us that if you cannot get your service working properly for some reason, you will not be charged. Overall, VoIP Your Life's two unlimited plans offer fantastic values that look even better when combined with their strong customer service.
About Us Blog Contact UsTerms & Privacy PolicyAffiliate ProgramSite map
Copyright© 2006 - NextAdvisor.com - All rights reserved.










